Red Bull Put Their Necks On the Line For “Fair Team Player” Max Verstappen’s Sins

As the Brazilian Grand Prix came to an end last weekend, Red Bull’s golden boy, Max Verstappen, faced a wave of hate post the race. Red Bull has now come forward to talk about this situation and have released an official statement condemning the inherent toxicity that came with the situation.

The drama surrounding Verstappen’s rude behavior took many by shock. With the championship in the bag, giving away a measly P6 to Perez didn’t seem like much to ask; especially when the Mexican has sacrificed so much for the #1 driver. Battling for P2 against Charles Leclerc, Perez repeatedly reminded his team the harsh reality of F1- every point matters.

Yet, Verstappen had his “reasons” not to let his teammate through. Crossing the line ahead of Perez, to say that Checo was furious would be an understatement. The team? Confused and disappointed. And the fans? Furious. People were quick to dub the double champion a ‘machiavellian’.

A British Formula one presenter, Will Buxton, took to his Twitter to talk about the repercussions the Dutchman was facing. He also shared that he had been in a conversation with the world champion and his father, Jos Verstappen, and posted about it on Twitter stating that Max hasn’t ever been a machiavellian type, therefore, ‘what happened in Brazil has deep roots that still resonate strongly’. Nonetheless, the abuse thrown at his family since was unacceptable.

Regarding the ordeal, Red Bull said, “Regretfully, Max was only informed at the final corner of the request to give up position without all the necessary information being relayed. This put Max, who has always been an open and fair team player, in a compromising situation with little time to react which was not our intention.”

They stated the issues between both drivers were talked out with honesty and respect. Further pointing out, the social media abuse the Dutchman, the Austrian team, and Checo faced was incredibly dreadful.

Taking the blame for Verstappen’s deeds, the statement also read: “As a team, we made some mistakes in Brazil. We had not envisaged the situation that unfolded on the last lap… This put Max, who has always been a an open and fair team player, in a compromising situation…”

The statement concluded by addressing the harsh reactions to the entire situation. “There is no place for it in racing or society as a whole and we need to do and be better. At the end of the day this is a sport, we are here to race.”

“Death threats, hate mail, vitriol towards extended family members is deplorable. We value inclusion and want a safe space for everyone to work in and enjoy our sport. The abuse needs to stop.”

Read More: “Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend”: Fans React As Mercedes’ Clever Tweet Aims Dig at Max Verstappen While Acknowledging Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez

The villain in it all, Max Verstappen later explained how things unraveled for him on the track.

Max Verstappen explained why he didn’t let Sergio Perez switch positions

In a heated radio message, Verstappen told his team he had his “reasons” for doing what he did, further warning them to never repeat this mistake again. In response, Perez replied on his radio: “Shows the kind of person he is”.

In an interview, Max said, “That’s why I first went to speak to the team before I came here. We put everything on the table why, and I gave my reasons. I’m not going to say why, but I think they understood. I already explained it to them before, so it was not new to me, and not new to them.”

“We go to Abu Dhabi, of course, we want to win the race, but also if there’s a chance to help Checo I will, but that’s why it was important we had this meeting now,” he said in conclusion.

Checo stated that he wishes to work as a team and will continue to do so, going forward.

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What do you think happened on the track between the Red Bull men?